A genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, which brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.
1978: at her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she's home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.
Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.
Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.
2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.
The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all. ~taken from Goodreads
1978: at her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she's home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.
Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.
Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.
2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.
The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all. ~taken from Goodreads
Paranormal stories are not my thing. I also do not enjoy horror. So tell me why author Jennifer McMahon is one of my favorite genre bending authors of all time!?! Any book she releases I will read! She does a phenomenal job at writing. You can check out my past reviews of "The Drowning Kind" and "The Invited" and PLEASE read "The Winter People" which I loved and read prior to my blog days.
So, her latest book is a must-read! I mean, I was expecting nothing less than a 5 star read and I got what was expected!
This is told from primarily 2 different perspectives, but also has a 3rd view thrown in every so often from the "monster's view". I have to say that both perspectives and alternating timeline stories kept me on edge throughout the entire read. Even when I thought I knew how it would end, I still kept getting surprises thrown at me and I loved it!
McMahon has pure writing talent. I loved reading the 1978 story line. The picturesque landscape of the Vermont countryside with a looming and eerie treatment center filled with odd and sketchy characters was a whole mood. The way the she sets the dark, cautious and mysterious tone along side of the cheerful, playful, innocence of childhood was masterful.
Then we are in 2019 and podcaster and blogger Lizzy Shelly is a famous monster hunter. We know she has changed her name, but what we don't know is why. She seems to be hiding, yet searching for a monster from her past. She hears about a girl who has gone missing after bragging about an encounter with a "mythical monster". Lizzy knows this isn't the first girl to go missing under these circumstances. There have been many more spanning back decades. To investigate she will have to go back to the home state she left when she was a child and possibly face a monster she has been running from most of her life.
The ending is everything! Just when you think it's over, it's not! This is a 5 star read!
Lucky for you all this is set to be released in the U.S. tomorrow April 26, 2022! So get your copy now and be ready to be blown away!
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest opinion.
Happy Reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment